Recording for your Project and Auto Tune

When you record you MUST remember a few things:

1. recording artists need written MUSIC, CHORDS and/or LYRICS! 
2. recording artists need to hear the track in headphones WHILE YOU RECORD.
3. you may need to convert your file to MP3 or WAV.  Google "online convert to MP3" etc...

Why?
1. Written Music: Unless you are telepathic, your musician does not know what chords, notes or rhythms you want them to play.  Musicians need chords, notes or lyrics written out for them.  That is your job as the composer.  Do the work and your musicians will be able to play your music.

Guitar: Write out your chords in the blocks from the "Planning" file.  This gives your guitar player the correct order and length to play each chord.  TUNE YOUR GUITAR with an electronic tuner!

Bass: Write out the bassline notes in the blocks from the "Planning" file and demonstrate the rhythm to your bass player.  TUNE YOUR BASS!

2. Listening and Recording: If you do not have your artist listen in headphones while you record, your recording will not line up with your song. Mix down to MP3 before your record and send them to recording.  

3.Your phone probably doesn't record with the best quality, so it uses smaller, more compressed file types not recognized by Mixcraft.  Convert it.  

I encourage you to use the high quality microphone here in class.  It will give you the best results. 

Auto Tune: 

After you have recorded a vocal track, you can adjust it subtly or drastically using the "Gsnap Pitch Correction" effect under the FX menu in the track.  You can choose how much you want the pitch corrected in this window.
Click Edit and "Set Key" to C Major in the Gsnap Window.  

If you wish to set it to match a MIDI track. Choose "MIDI Fun"

Theory Review

Work through the following 3 theory exercises (yes they are graded!)  Upon completion you should see your grade and beneath that, a “View Report” link.  Click into “View Report” and type in your name under the “Verification Code” section, then click “Sign Report”.  A verification code will come up.  Copy and paste your code and send it in an email to ms.shi.music@gmail.com

1.    1.    Note naming in treble and bass clefs www.musictheory.net/exercises/note/deteoyryyynyykdb

2.    2.    Naming notes on the keyboard

 www.musictheory.net/exercises/keyboard/y9dyyynyerb

3.     3.   Note name to keyboard

www.musictheory.net/exercises/keyboard-reverse/dgte1yryybnkry

Final Theory Test May 15

Your final theory test will cover the following topics:

• naming notes in treble and bass clef
• naming notes with sharps and flats
• naming piano keys
• identifying staff notes on the keyboard
• writing a C major scale
• triad vocabulary
• drawing triads
• identifying parts of the Mixcraft program
• musical terms: verse, chorus, bridge, bar, melody, harmony, phrase, texture, intro, chord

Final Project: Write a Song with Recordings

Your final project will be to write a song that has the following criteria:

• minimum 2 verses (8 or 12 bars each)
• minimum 2 choruses (8 or 12 bars each)
• 1 bridge (8 or 12 bars each)
• intro of any length
• melody written in 4 bar phrases using C major scale or C pentatonic scale
• uses chord progressions in C major (your choice)
• RH Harmony that is rhythmically interesting
• Bass Line using root and 5th of each chord (ask Ms. Moynihan to accept other notes in the bass line)
• Drum kit with minimum 3 parts (kick, snare,cymbal)
• DIFFERENT TEMPO! No 120 bpm
• ONE recorded track for a minimum of 1 verse, chorus or bridge
• minimum one master effect and one effect on one track
• Intro, Verse 1, Verse 2, Chorus 1, Chorus 2, Bridge, outro, etc. labelled with Markers
• an ending - no abrupt cut-offs

Your song must demonstrate these ELEMENTS:

• use of texture
• clear melody phrases (4 bars each)
• interesting rhythm patterns in the harmony
• verse, chorus, and bridge have different harmony
• interesting rhythms patterns in the bass
• repeating 1 or 2 bar rhythm pattern in the drums that changes in verse, chorus, bridge
• careful attention to detail. 

Complete this Google Doc Project Planning Sheet as you go.  

Process Due Dates: 

May 13 - Verse/Chorus/Bridge order and Song Theme

May 21: Chord Progressions and Song Title
June 1; Final Checklist

Total Project Due: June 1

What makes a good Chorus?

• shorter phrases
• catchy
• use fewer notes in melody
• could be shorter number of bars
• lyrics remain the same every time you repeat
• title or "hook" in the chorus

What is the difference between Verse and Chorus?

• Verse repeats with DIFFERENT lyrics
• Chorus repeats with the SAME lyrcic
• Bridge does not repeat and has new lyrics and harmony

Common Song Form: (Verse=A, Chorus=B, Bridge=C)

• Intro, ABABCB
• Intro, AABAABCBB
• Intro, ABABABCB
• Some start with a Chorus! BABCABB

The variations on this form are endless.  Be creative!

Here is a good graphic to help you. Middle 8 is the same as the Bridge.

Discovering Verse/Chorus/Bridge Form

Your task today is to:

1. Find a song that has the following criteria:

• a verse that repeats
• a chorus
• a bridge
• Your song might also have an intro, an outro, and an instrumental break.2

2. Convert the song into MP3 format using any Youtube to MP3 converter.  Google it!

3. Add the song to a Mixcraft file and put Markers on the following:

• Verse 1, Verse 2, Verse 3, etc.
• Chorus 1, Chorus 2 etc.
• Bridge
• Intro ( if song has one)
• Instrumental Break (if song has one)
• Outro (if song has one)

4. Submit Song in MX6 format.  Be prepared to present the song to the class.

Due: Today!